Famous Like Me > Composer > E > Roger Edens
Profile of Roger Edens
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Name: |
Roger Edens |
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Date of Birth: |
9th November 1905 |
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Place of Birth: |
Hillsboro, Texas, USA |
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Profession: |
Composer |
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From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia Roger Edens(9 November 1905, Hillsboro, Texas, -- 13 July 1970, Hollywood) was a Hollywood composer and arranger.
Early career and work with Judy Garland
Edens's parents were of Scots-Irish Ancestry. He worked as a piano accompanist for ballroom dancers before going to work as a musical conductor on Broadway. He went to Hollywood in 1933 to write special material for Ethel Merman films at Paramount. In 1935 he joined MGM as a musical supervisor and occasional composer and arranger, notably of music for Judy Garland. In the early 1940s he became associate producer to Arthur Freed. Edens's career at MGM allowed him to work with the top musical performers including the young Judy Garland whom he coached. He wrote special material for Garland including the famous Dear Mr Gable - You Made Me love You number in 1938 and was responsible for writing It's A Great Day for the Irish to showcase Garland's power-house voice in 1940. This became one of Garland's biggest hits. He continued to compose, score, and arrange MGM musicals throughout the 1940s. He also produced a number of films after the mid-50s and wrote special material for Garland's Palace Theatre debut in 1951 and for her London Palladium concerts the same year.
The Sound of Music
When The Sound of Music was first announced by 20th Century-Fox to be directed by William Wyler, Edens was to be Associate Producer. It was Edens who thought up the opening shot of the camera coming over the Austrian Alps to reveal Julie Andrews coming up over the hill singing "The Hills are alive with The Sound of Music". Although Wyler chose not to direct, Edens' opening concept was kept in by Robert Wise.
Birthday parties
He and Kay Thompson shared the same birthday (November 9th). From 1942 thru 1957) they gave joint birthday parties during which each presented a surprise production number using special material which featured their friends Judy Garland, Ann Sothern, Chuck Walters, Ralph Blanel) each never told the other while rehearsing what the other was planning to present.
Show Boat
It was Edens, along with producer Arthur Freed, who was the real guiding force behind M-G-M's 1951 screen version of Show Boat. Edens was the one who carried out the search for the right singer-actor to play Joe and sing "Ol' Man River", and it was Edens who discovered William Warfield after reading a rave review of a New York song recital that Warfield had given. Edens was also the one who supervised the cuts to the film after it was felt by the producer and the director that the original cut was too slow.
Awards and Honors
- Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Best Score) 1939: Babes in Arms (w. George Stoll)
- Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Best Score) 1940: Strike up the Band (w. George Stoll)
- Nominated for Music Best Song 1940:Strike up the Band "Our Love Affair" - Music & Lyrics
- Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Musical Picture) 1942: For Me and My Gal (w. George Stoll)
- Nominated for Music Best Song 1947: Good News "Pass That Peace Pipe" - Music & Lyrics (w. Ralph Blane & Hugh Martin)
- Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Musical Picture) 1948: Easter Parade (w. Johnny Green)
- Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Musical Picture) 1949: On the Town (w. Lennie Hayton)
- Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Musical Picture) 1950: Annie, Get your Gun (w. Adolph Deutsch)
(8 nominations, 3 Awards)
Roger Edens is considered to be the single most important creative musical figure at MGM -- and, possibly, in Hollywood -- from the end of the 1930s until the beginning of the '60s.
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